Propulsion mechanism



W1 TNESS:

L. A. SPRAGUE. PVROPULSIONIMECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 2, 1916.

PatentedSept. 14,1920

3 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS L. A. SPRAGUE. PROPULSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2. 1916.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920,

INVEN TOR. W

BY I

WITNESS:

A TTORNEYST.

L. A. SPRAGUE. PROPULSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2. 1916.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

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W I TNESS:

A TTORNEYS UNITED STAT 1 LE0 nmvroivr: SPRAGUE, ornnivnnnson, NEW YORK.) i

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To all whom it mag/concern 'Be it known that I, Lino ALMo T SPRAeon, a'citizen of the United States, and a resident of the village of Henderson, county of Jeff ferson, and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Propulsion .Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to submarine or submersible boats and has for its object propelling and controlling mechanism therefor which mechanism includes propellers shiftable into positionsto apply the propelling force at various angles and directions to the hull of the boat which means is particularly simple in construction, is readily operable and highly efficient and durable in use.

, The invention consists 'in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference ,is

had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. 7 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my submarine boat. 1 Fig. 2 is abow view thereof. V Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewillustrating the actuating mechanism for the propellers and the means for shifting them.

Fig. 4: is an elevation looking to the left in Fig. 3, parts being omitted and the cover or cap plate for the propeller'mechanism being removed.

Fig. 5 is an opposite elevation of parts seen in Fig. 41 showing the means for shifting the angle of the propeller shaft.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the housing two propellers and shafts arranged on-oppo-.

site sides of the boat mounted on propeller shafts extending lengthwise of the hull and adjustable through arcs of 360.

1 designates the hull of the boat provided Specification of Letters Patent.

tions.

propeller shaft 17.

Patented se e ia, i920.-

Application filed September 2, 1916. 'snai no. 118,289.

with I passages opening. through opposite; sidesthereof, the'passages being here shown I as confined by tubular projections 2.

3 are the sile propellers the shafts of which are adjustable to different radial posi- 4 is the sternpropeller. 5'is the steering rudder and 6 is the tilting rudder. 7 designates the working 'de'ckof the submarine, 8 the conning tower or hatchway and pilot house. 9 are the railings. 10 are dead eyes or windows. 11 are hawse pipes. 12 is a door opening to the submarine deck.

The propelle'rs 3 are mounted upon shafts 17 arranged in vertical planes which extend in a direction lengthwise of the hull on opposite sides thereof these shafts 17 being.-

journal'ed in carriers 20 "rotatably mounted in the projections 2 at the ends thereof and having, radial bearings 24; near their peripheriesand near their hubs inwhi'ch the I propeller shafts 17 are mounted, these shafts extending diametrically {relatively to f the carriers 20. V

its companionprojection2'. A wall or par-I tition 23 separates the end'portion of the ex,- tension 2 in which the carrier 20 is located from the remainder of the interior of said part 2.

The outer-side of each carrier 20 is closed by a suitable cover or cap plate 27 secured thereto in any-suitable manner as by bolts 25. Either propeller shaft is actuated by a shaft'13 connected to a motor in any suitable manner and extending into the projec-' tion 2 and through a suitable stufiing box 15 in the partition 23 to the outer side of .said partition and intermeshing gears on the shafts 13, 17 the gear on the shaft 17 traveling planetarily around the gear on the shaft 13 during shifting of the 'carrier 20 to change the radial angle of the propeller shaft 1'7. As here illustrated, a bevel gear '18 is mounted on the shaft 13 and meshes with the bevel gear 19 on the contiguous Thus the propeller f shaft'carrier'QO can be moved about its axis to chan e the radial angle of the propeller shaft 1 shaft 13. Each carrier 20 of the shaft 13 to change the radial angle about the axis of the .driving of the propeller shaft in any suitable manis rotated about the axis 7 ner, as by a shaft 14: extending through a j so Suitable anti-friction bearings 16 are in terpose'd between each-of the carriers 20 and stuffingbox similar to'the box 15 in'the par- 'tition 23 and having a spur gear 21 at its Outer end meshing with an internal gear 22' Thus the boat can be raised or lowered,

without the use of air tanks, by force of the propellers applied vertically upwardly or downwardly, at angles out of the verticalor out of the horizontal. The propellers may be reversely' arranged relatively to each other so that'the force thereof is applied in opposite directions to cause a quick turning of the boat or one propeller can act vertically upwardly and the other downwardly causing the boat to roll for the pur-- pose'of looseningit when lying in mud on the bottom, Obviously, various other com binations of movements may be used.

Vhat I claim is:

" 1. In a propulsion mechanism, the combination of a hull, and apropeller at one end of the hull, and side propellers located forward from the central part of the hull,

shafts for the side propellers extendingin planes which extend lengthwise of the hull, the shafts for the side propellers being shiftable insaid-planes into different radial 7 positions, means for rotating theside prolpell'er shafts and means for shifting the shafts into different radial positions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a propulsion mechanism, the combination of a hull, a propeller at one end of thehull, a propeller between the ends forward of the central part of the hull, a shaft for the second propeller extending in a plane which extendslengthwise of thehull, said shaft being shiftable in said plane into different radial positions,jmeans for rotating the shaft, and means for shifting the shaft into different radial ,positions, sub: stantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a propulsion mechanism, the combination of a hull having a passage through the side thereof,-a partition or head in the passage, a rotatable carrier mounted in the passage at the outer side of the head, and

having a gear associated therewith, a .pro-, peller shaft rotatable in the carrier and extending radially relatively thereto, a driving shaft extending through the partition coaxially with the carrier, intermeshing gears mounted respectivelyon the driving shaft and the propeller shaft on the outside of the partition, means for rotating thecarrier, said means comprising a shaft journaled in the partition and having a gearat its outer end'on the outer side of the partition and meshing with said gear of the carrier, and a cover at the outer end of the projection inclosing the carrier, the propeller shaft and gears, substantially as and for the purpose described. I r v LEO ALMONT SPRAGUE. 

